Image library – this hidden member of your marketing team is a valuable asset in your industrial press relations

Product images are a valuable commodity and can even be described as the extra member of your sales/marketing team.

You’ll have heard the expression ‘don’t tell me, show me’, which supports the view that a visual aid or demonstration has a greater impact on an audience than mere words.

This is backed up by a study which found that when people hear information they are likely to remember only 10 per cent of that information three days later. However, if a relevant image is paired with that same information, they will retain 65 per cent of the information three days later.

So are you making the most of the images in your photo library or product catalogue, and what can you do to get more of them in front of potential customers?

Make images available

Our advice is to include at least one image with each press release you send to print publications or on-line sites. Landscape is preferable and in the case of print publications essential if you want the image to be placed across two or more columns instead of squeezed into a single column.

Be thorough

When sending a press release give full details relating to the image so that the person uploading it or preparing for print doesn’t need to make a call to ask for information. The more thorough you are the more likely your press release and image are to be used.

Think creatively, without losing focus

When commissioning a photographer think about eye-catching opportunities as well as the practicalities, but make sure the photographer works to your brief, not theirs. You don’t want the integrity of your products watered down by extraneous content, but technical images don’t need to be dull.

Is the image usable in a practical sense?

With such huge steps forward in on-line storage capacity news sites can carry hundreds of images, but site admins or bloggers won’t be pleased if you send a handful of images which are of such a high resolution that they each take up 4MB of memory. If each image needs to be resized and reduced you’re giving someone an extra task and it’s possible the images will be spiked.

The whole picture from all sides

Buyers expect to be able to see products close-up and from different angles, but don’t go overboard. If one picture is enough, quit while you’re ahead, but if you need more, make sure you don’t duplicate angles. Stick to the essentials and ensure the picture shows features in an eye-catching way with a colourful and/or relevant background.

Think of the added exposure

It’s true that written explanations – of technical details, functions and benefits – make up most of what you’re going to say, but if any of this can be conveyed in a complementary image or, even better, a brief video, your message will reach a larger audience.

Don’t forget the people behind the products

It’s not just products that need to be shown, either. Let customers see who’s in your team. Get personalities involved, because people not only buy from people, but they buy into people.